Dubai Souks and Creekside Food Walk

Duration: 4.5 HRS

Location: Deira and Bur Dubai, Dubai

Regular

AED 395.00

8 years + only

Sufra Member

AED 355.50

10% off for Sufra members

Minimum age of 8 years recommended given duration and walking. Ticket price stated is not inclusive of 5% VAT and online processing fees. Refund/rescheduling policies on legal section of our website. *Tour dates from October 2018 onwards*

Tastings include Gluten/Lactose/Dairy/Nuts. Please notify us of severe allergies.

Carry earphones for the audio system used by our guide.

Dress to walk.

Minimum age of 8 years recommended given duration and walking involved. No infants/strollers.

The tour requires a minimum of 4 guests; we may cancel and refund tickets if the minimum is not met.

What to Expect

Experience the souks and creek of Old Dubai as few would – without being herded with a flag or trapped by the over-eager souk salesmen. Stroll through the spice and textile souks, learn our mothers’ bargaining tactics, ride the traditional ‘abra’ across the historic creek and savour foods of the three cultures that symbolize Old Dubai – Emirati, Indian and Iranian.

Start off with a popular old timer’s treat in the souk’s back alleys where few tourists venture, before stepping into the intoxicating cloud of aromas in the Deira spice souk. Play a round of SPINGO* – our proprietary way of experiencing the souk with a fun, easy-to-play, educational game that makes both familiar and strange spices unforgettable. Once our SPINGO winner is crowned, bob across the Dubai creek in a traditional wooden abra and then experience religious tolerance at its best in the alleys of Bur Dubai’s textile souk.

With the souks behind us, transition into a “food walk” mode with a 3-stop tasting that includes: sweet Emirati dumplings doused with date molasses, Indian sweet-spicy “water balloons” and Iranian dill-scented soup and succulent kebabs.

Morning and evening routes and foods vary based on working hours of our vendors and dishes served at various times of the day. Our route and featured tastings are subject to change. *SPINGO is replaced with a “Dates (the fruit)” quiz during Ramadan, though we will still walk through the Spice Souk briefly during this time.

Allergens Key: Contains G-Gluten; D-Dairy; N-Nuts; M-Meat (Beef/Lamb); P-Poultry; F-Fish; S-Shellfish. We regret that there may not be substitutes for dishes. Even if specific dishes do not contain these ingredients, we cannot guarantee against cross-contamination of allergens in the restaurant kitchens.

Souk Snack Stop

Delicious welcome snack that is a classic treat in the back alleys of the souk. (G/D)

Deira Spice Souk

Play SPINGO, our fun and educational spice game. (During Ramadan, SPINGO will be replaced with a quiz on the fruit of Ramadan - dates.)

Abra Ride

Cross the creek from Deira to Bur Dubai.

Textile Souk

Stroll through a short section of the textile souk, with a focus on religious diversity.

Where to Meet

We meet right by the pedestrian underpass adjoining the Spice Souk parking lot, on the side of the souk (not the creek side). GPS link: https://goo.gl/maps/3HXptqcFKXQ2

Please be on time, we don't wait for latecomers! Given traffic, limited parking and different starting/ending locations, we strongly recommend that you take the metro rather than driving to the trail. If you plan to take a taxi, please budget extra time for traffic.

Have questions? Here are the most frequently asked.

Can I join the Souks and Creekside tour if I am vegetarian?

There is 1 main course on our Souks and Creekside tour that is non-vegetarian. However, we are able to order vegetarian falafels upon request. The other snacks and tastings featured are vegetarian-friendly.

Do we only walk around and sample food?

Absolutely not! Our walking food tours (Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage,Little India on a Plate and Dubai Souks and Creekside Food Walk) are immersive experiences that combine food tastings with history, culture and personal stories of the city. We often get exclusive ‘behind-the-scenes’ access that would typically not be offered to regular guests at the restaurants/shops.

Our Old Dubai Souks and Stories experience is not a food-focused tour, even though it does feature one of our favourite classic meals in the city at the end of the experience. This tour is a cultural and souk sightseeing experience that weaves together the guide’s passion with her knowledge of history and cultural stories.

Our Emirati Cooking Session and Lunch involves cooking and sampling through the session, as well as lunch – so you will definitely be well-fed! The Chef also brings his extensive knowledge of Emirati spices and culinary techniques to the experience.

The Unseen Trails experiences with our community partners – Dubai Desert Conservation Drive, Naif by Night, Old Dubai Iftar Walk and Indian Festival of Lights – are not food-focused tours and are more centered on urban/desert exploration depending on the tour you sign up for. However, all of them do feature a few delicious treats which are always carefully selected and well-explained on the tour.

What if I have dietary restrictions or allergies?

Please be sure to let us know if you (or anyone in your group) have a dietary restriction (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic, allergy, etc.) when you purchase your tickets. In most cases, nuts, lactose and gluten may be in the foods featured on our experiences and there is a risk of cross-contamination. If you have a serious allergy, we recommend contacting us at ‘munch@fryingpanadventures.com’ prior to purchasing tickets to enable us to advise you if our tours are suitable for you.

What should I bring with me?

Please carry earphones for our tour guide audio system (else we will provide a free size one); don’t carry anything too heavy as we will provide a tote. If you plan to purchase edible souvenirs during the tour, please make sure to carry both cash/your credit card (most, but not all, locations accept credit card).

What are the change policies on my booking?

We apply the following policy for any tour booking (excluding Sufra experiences), including one booked with a gift voucher / e-certificate:

Cancellation policy

75% refund if 30 days or more before Trail

50% refund if 14 to 29 days before Trail

25% refund if 4 to 13 days before Trail

0% refund if 1 to 3 days before Trail

Rescheduling policy

Rescheduling permitted within the same tour type only if request is received 14 days or more before the trail and if there is availability on the new date requested. Only one rescheduling request permitted per booking.

No rescheduling permitted if request is received less than 14 days before the trail or if there is no availability on the new date requested.

What to Expect

Experience the souks and creek of Old Dubai as few would – without being herded with a flag or trapped by the over-eager souk salesmen. Stroll through the spice and textile souks, learn our mothers’ bargaining tactics, ride the traditional ‘abra’ across the historic creek and savour foods of the three cultures that symbolize Old Dubai – Emirati, Indian and Iranian.

Start off with a popular old timer’s treat in the souk’s back alleys where few tourists venture, before stepping into the intoxicating cloud of aromas in the Deira spice souk. Play a round of SPINGO* – our proprietary way of experiencing the souk with a fun, easy-to-play, educational game that makes both familiar and strange spices unforgettable. Once our SPINGO winner is crowned, bob across the Dubai creek in a traditional wooden abra and then experience religious tolerance at its best in the alleys of Bur Dubai’s textile souk.

With the souks behind us, transition into a “food walk” mode with a 3-stop tasting that includes: sweet Emirati dumplings doused with date molasses, Indian sweet-spicy “water balloons” and Iranian dill-scented soup and succulent kebabs.

Morning and evening routes and foods vary based on working hours of our vendors and dishes served at various times of the day. Our route and featured tastings are subject to change. *SPINGO is replaced with a “Dates (the fruit)” quiz during Ramadan, though we will still walk through the Spice Souk briefly during this time.

Allergens Key: Contains G-Gluten; D-Dairy; N-Nuts; M-Meat (Beef/Lamb); P-Poultry; F-Fish; S-Shellfish. We regret that there may not be substitutes for dishes. Even if specific dishes do not contain these ingredients, we cannot guarantee against cross-contamination of allergens in the restaurant kitchens.

Souk Snack Stop

Delicious welcome snack that is a classic treat in the back alleys of the souk. (G/D)

Deira Spice Souk

Play SPINGO, our fun and educational spice game. (During Ramadan, SPINGO will be replaced with a quiz on the fruit of Ramadan - dates.)

Abra Ride

Cross the creek from Deira to Bur Dubai.

Textile Souk

Stroll through a short section of the textile souk, with a focus on religious diversity.

Where to Meet

We meet right by the pedestrian underpass adjoining the Spice Souk parking lot, on the side of the souk (not the creek side). GPS link: https://goo.gl/maps/3HXptqcFKXQ2

Please be on time, we don't wait for latecomers! Given traffic, limited parking and different starting/ending locations, we strongly recommend that you take the metro rather than driving to the trail. If you plan to take a taxi, please budget extra time for traffic.

Have questions? Here are the most frequently asked.

Can I join the Souks and Creekside tour if I am vegetarian?

There is 1 main course on our Souks and Creekside tour that is non-vegetarian. However, we are able to order vegetarian falafels upon request. The other snacks and tastings featured are vegetarian-friendly.

Do we only walk around and sample food?

Absolutely not! Our walking food tours (Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage,Little India on a Plate and Dubai Souks and Creekside Food Walk) are immersive experiences that combine food tastings with history, culture and personal stories of the city. We often get exclusive ‘behind-the-scenes’ access that would typically not be offered to regular guests at the restaurants/shops.

Our Old Dubai Souks and Stories experience is not a food-focused tour, even though it does feature one of our favourite classic meals in the city at the end of the experience. This tour is a cultural and souk sightseeing experience that weaves together the guide’s passion with her knowledge of history and cultural stories.

Our Emirati Cooking Session and Lunch involves cooking and sampling through the session, as well as lunch – so you will definitely be well-fed! The Chef also brings his extensive knowledge of Emirati spices and culinary techniques to the experience.

The Unseen Trails experiences with our community partners – Dubai Desert Conservation Drive, Naif by Night, Old Dubai Iftar Walk and Indian Festival of Lights – are not food-focused tours and are more centered on urban/desert exploration depending on the tour you sign up for. However, all of them do feature a few delicious treats which are always carefully selected and well-explained on the tour.

What if I have dietary restrictions or allergies?

Please be sure to let us know if you (or anyone in your group) have a dietary restriction (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic, allergy, etc.) when you purchase your tickets. In most cases, nuts, lactose and gluten may be in the foods featured on our experiences and there is a risk of cross-contamination. If you have a serious allergy, we recommend contacting us at ‘munch@fryingpanadventures.com’ prior to purchasing tickets to enable us to advise you if our tours are suitable for you.

What should I bring with me?

Please carry earphones for our tour guide audio system (else we will provide a free size one); don’t carry anything too heavy as we will provide a tote. If you plan to purchase edible souvenirs during the tour, please make sure to carry both cash/your credit card (most, but not all, locations accept credit card).

What are the change policies on my booking?

We apply the following policy for any tour booking (excluding Sufra experiences), including one booked with a gift voucher / e-certificate:

Cancellation policy

75% refund if 30 days or more before Trail

50% refund if 14 to 29 days before Trail

25% refund if 4 to 13 days before Trail

0% refund if 1 to 3 days before Trail

Rescheduling policy

Rescheduling permitted within the same tour type only if request is received 14 days or more before the trail and if there is availability on the new date requested. Only one rescheduling request permitted per booking.

No rescheduling permitted if request is received less than 14 days before the trail or if there is no availability on the new date requested.

Dubai Souks and Creekside Food Walk

Duration: 4.5 HRS

Location: Deira and Bur Dubai, Dubai

Regular

AED 395.00

8 years + only

Sufra Member

AED 355.50

10% off for Sufra members

Minimum age of 8 years recommended given duration and walking. Ticket price stated is not inclusive of 5% VAT and online processing fees. Refund/rescheduling policies on legal section of our website. *Tour dates from October 2018 onwards*

Connect with Us

We curate authentic food and cultural experiences for discerning travelers.

We aspire to tell the tales you wouldn't normally hear if you went by 'the book.' Our experiences unravel the history, culture and community stories that make for something far more than just ingredients on a plate.